The invention relates to a substrate for receiving and storing a plurality of samples and in particular to a substrate for the cryopreservation of biological samples. The invention also relates to processes for the cryopreservation of samples with such a substrate.
The permanent storage in a frozen state (cryopreservation) of biological samples (especially biological tissue, tissue parts, biological cells, cellular groups, cell components, cellular organelles or biologically relevant macromolecules) is known. The biological samples are arranged in a dissolved or suspended state on a sample substrate that is transferred for cryopreservation into an environment with reduced temperature, e.g., into a cryotank.
Various forms of substrates for cryopreservation are known from practice that were developed on the basis of carrier systems in laboratory technology such as, e.g., from microtiter plates. Important requirements in the development of the conventional substrates for cryopreservation consisted in the making available of a high receiving capacity, in the adaptation to the freezing and storage conditions and in the flexibility and functionality of the substrate (ability to be easily adapted to certain preservation tasks, ability for samples to be more easily removed in the cryopreserved state). However, the conventional substrates (sample chambers) for cryopreservation can have the disadvantage that a compact arrangement, e.g., in a cryotank is associated with the danger of confusion.
For example, an unintended redistribution of substrates can occur in a cryocontainer that can only be corrected by expensive measures of data acquisition.
Another requirement for storage systems for cryopreservation is that an economical mass production should be possible. As regards this criterion, e.g., drawer systems for the ordered storing of substrates in cryocontainers would be disadvantageous since they have a complicated design and are limited in their ability to adapt to concrete preservation tasks.
The cited problems occur not only with substrates for holding samples for cryopreservation but in general in sample carriers for liquid (suspended or dissolved) or particulate samples of biological or synthetic origin for purposes of processing, reaction or storage.
The invention has the object of providing an improved substrate for receiving a plurality of samples with which the disadvantages of the conventional substrates (sample chambers) in particular for cryopreservation are overcome and that has in particular a compact design, can be mass-produced cost-effectively and makes possible a sample storage with reduced danger of confusion. Another object of the invention is the provision of improved processes for the cryopreservation of samples and in particular for supplying samples to or removing samples from a substrate in particular under cryotemperature conditions.